Talon is comprised of a variety of individuals, each with their own goals and ideas.[1] Through its leader Doomfist,[1] its current manifesto is that humanity is made stronger through conflict. Consequently, Talon seeks to sow turmoil across the globe to strengthen the human race.[2] Repeatedly, Talon has demonstrated disregard for the standard rules of engagement, attacking both military and civilian targets with impunity.[3][4]

Talon was operating as early as the years following the end of the Omnic Crisis. At the time, Talon was facing internal power struggles, though was still committed to its goal of strengthening humanity through conflict.[2] Its area of operations was focused in western Europe, and its activities at this time included arms trafficking, smuggling, illegal substances trade, and assassination.[5]Overwatch carried out operations against Talon, spearheaded by Gérard Lacroix.[6]Blackwatch was able to procure some information on Talon's inner members, and the status of its paramilitary forces.[5]

In this early period, Talon gained a new recruit in the form of Akande Ogundimu, whose Darwinian philosophy aligned with Talon's. Talon saw great potential in Ogundimu, with his intelligence and ability to inspire as a commander. Ogundimu killed his mentor, Akinjide Adeyemi, and took on the moniker of Doomfist. As the new Doomfist, Ogundimu rose high in Talon and helped to orchestrate a conflict that the organization hoped would someday engulf the world.[2]

Eight years before the present day, Overwatch was well and truly committed to stamping out Talon. Talon, for its part, wasn't going quietly, and struck against Overwatch targets across the globe. Under the orders of Antonio, one such attack was launched on Overwatch's Oslo facilities. Not long afterwards, a Talon agent infiltrated the Blackwatch facility in Rome, where a meeting was being held by Overwatch members Gerard Lacroix, Gabriel Reyes, and Jesse McCree. The agent planted a bomb in the facility, and the resulting blast leveled the structure. Reyes, McCree, and Lacroix (albiet heavily injured) survived, but many of the base's staff didn't. In response, a Blackwatch team was sent to Antonio's manor in Venice.[4] What happened next was classified within Overwatch, but it apparently resulted in the death of Antonio.[5] Numerous Talon soldiers were dispatched, but the Blackwatch agents were able to fight their way out of the manor.[7]

Before Ogudimu's plan came to fruition, he was defeated and captured by an Overwatch strike team.[2] After Ogundimu's incarceration, Vialli began to steer Talon into a more profit-orientated direction.[8]

Talon made several attempts to assassinate Gerard Lacroix, but failed. They settled on a different approach by kidnapping Lacroix's wife, and subjecting her to neural conditioning. Overwatch agents eventually recovered her, but she ended up killing her husband in his sleep two weeks later.[6] At some point afterwards, Overwatch launched an operation to rescue a number of scientists who had been kidnapped by Talon, held hostage in an urban area. The scientists were successfully extracted, with both sides losing agents in the firefight.[9]

At some point after Overwatch's disbandment, Talon operatives raided a hypertrain on its way to Houston. Jesse McCree, who was on the train at the time, noted that their method of insertion appeared to be taken from the tactics used by Blackwatch. Regardless, McCree eliminated every Talon operative that made its way onto the train, but dumped their target off the train so that Talon would get what they came for and stop putting civilian lives in danger.[3]

At some point afterwards, Talon operatives accompanied by Reaper entered Watchpoint: Gibraltar to retrieve a list of all Overwatch operatives. They encountered resistance from Winston, but were able to incapacitate him long enough for Reaper to gain access to the Overwatch agents database. However, Winston was able to overpower the operatives and defeat Reaper before proceeding to interrupt the hack. As a result of the failed operation, Winston initiated the Overwatch recall, bringing all former agents back onto active duty.[10]

A few hours after the botched Gibraltar operation,[11] Talon had more success in King's Row, as Widowmaker was assigned to assassinate Shambali leader Tekhartha Mondatta. Despite running into resistance from security forces and Tracer, Widowmaker successfully eliminated her target. She was subsequently picked up in a Talon aircraft.[12] Talon's involvement remained unknown within the press.[13]

Vialli dispatched Reaper, Widowmaker, and Sombra to Volskaya Industries in an attempt to assassinate its CEO, Katya Volskaya, as he was tired of how intractable she was.[8] Sombra was able to deactivate the site's security, giving Reaper and Widowmaker access to the base. Widowmaker lined up her shot, but an alarm sounded, alerting security, and sending Katya to her panic room. Widowmaker and Reaper failed to take her out, and Sombra engaged in pursuit. She reached Katya, but made her own deal, revealing that she had been the one to set off the alarm. Leaving the safe room, she reported that Katya had escaped. The operatives returned to their ship.[15]

After the failed Russian operation,[8] Talon agent Reaper assaulted a maximum security prison to rescue Doomfist, a member of the Talon inner council and former mastermind of a plot to sow chaos across the globe that was cut short years before by Winston, Tracer, and Genji.[2] The relative ease of the operation led some to believe that Talon had moles within Helix Security International. It would be three months before news of the incident became public.[16] Doomfist's return wasn't greeted well by Vialli, who sent his men to assassinate him in Monaco. The attempt failed, and Doomfist, Sombra, Reaper, and Widowmaker headed for Venice. The three agents eliminated Vialli's men, while Doomfist met with Vialli himself. Vialli's profit-orientated goals differed from Doomfist's Darwinian ideology, and Doomfist killed Vialli. Alongside Reaper, he met with what remained of Talon's inner council, declaring his intent to start a war.[8]

Talon has employed a variety of paramilitary forces. During the period of Overwatch's activities, these forces included heavily armored soldiers with specialist roles.[5] In the modern day, Talon has utilized more lightly armored soldiers, with a lack of heavy armor or armament.[17]

Trooper - Make up the bulk of Talon's forces. Their total numbers remain unknown and appear to be growing. Outfitted with full body armor, helmets, and a suppressed assault rifle.[18]

Enforcer - Elite operators within the Talon organization appear to possess genetic and cybernetic augmentation that make them extremely dangerous in combat, particularly in close quarters. Outfitted with heavy body armor, helmets, and a shotgun.[18]

Assassin - Like the enforcers, Talon's assassin's possess enhanced speed, stealth, and balance and have proven extremely elusive, as their movements are near impossible to track. Outfitted with full body armor, helmet, and bladed tonfa.[18]

Sniper - Frighteningly effective at taking out high-priority targets around the world. Outfitted with full body armor, helmet, a sniper rifle, and a pistol for close combat.[18]

Michael Chu has noted that from a story perspective, Talon can be considered to be the inverse of Overwatch. Like Overwatch, it is comprised of "soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities," albeit ones with opposing goals to Overwatch.[1]

The Talon Assassin's attack patterns appear to be based on prototype versions of Genji, who at at one time had the ability to cling to walls, as well as an ability that allowed him to knock down an enemy and instantly kill them with a sword strike if their teammates didn't interrupt it.[21].[22]

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